Golf club head having face support

ABSTRACT

A golf club head has a body having a top, a sole, a toe end, a heel end, and a forward wall. The forward wall defines a front opening about which a face support is disposed. The face support receives a face plate, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body. The face support includes portions proximate to the top, the toe end, and the heel end, each portion having a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening. The face support can be combined with a preferred face construction and weight elements to optimize club head performance to help a golfer achieve greater distance and control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to golf clubs and, moreparticularly, to an improved golf club head having face support.

Many factors must be considered when designing a golf club head. Onefactor is the distribution of mass about the club head, which istypically quantified by parameters for moments of inertia and center ofgravity. Moments of inertia of a club head are measures of a club head'sresistance to angular acceleration and are related to the distributionof mass from reference axes. It is desirable for a club head to havehigh moments of inertia, particularly to promote forgiveness foroff-center hits. To achieve high moments of inertia, designers typicallyposition mass to the periphery of the golf club head and backwards fromthe face plate. In addition, a club head's center of gravity is spacedfrom the face plate at a prescribed location to achieve a desired launchangle upon impact with a golf ball. As a result, for wood-type clubheads, large internal volumes typically are desirable.

Another factor in club head design is the face plate of the club head.Upon impact with a golf ball, the face plate of a club head deflects,which is measured as the club head's coefficient of restitution (COR). Athin face plate generally will deflect more than a thick face. Thus, aproperly constructed club with a thin face can to impart a higherinitial velocity to a golf ball than a club with a thick, rigid face. Tothese ends, it typically is desirable to incorporate thin walls,including the face plate, into the design of the club head. Thin wallsafford the designers additional leeway in assigning remaining club massto achieve desired mass distribution, as well as, allowing for a highCOR.

Thus, thin walls are important to a club's performance. However, overlythin walls can adversely affect the club head's durability. Structuralrequirements can set a lower limit to wall thickness. Problems alsoarise from stresses distributed across the club head upon impact withthe golf ball, particularly at junctions of club head components, suchas the junction of the face plate with other club head components. Oneprior solution has been to provide a reinforced periphery about the faceplate, such as welding, in order to withstand the repeated impacts.Another approach to combat stresses at impact is to use one or more ribsextending substantially from the crown to the sole vertically across theface, and in some instances extending from the toe to the heelhorizontally across the face. These approaches tend to affect clubperformance characteristics adversely, e.g., size of sweet sport,inhibiting design flexibility in both mass distribution and the facestructure of the club head. Thus, these club heads fail to provide muchforgiveness to off-center hits for all but the most expert golfers.

It should, therefore, be appreciated that there exists a need for a golfclub head having a face support that facilitates performance anddurability. The present invention fulfills this need and others.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, and in general terms, the present invention provides a golfclub head having enhanced durability and performance characteristics.The club head includes a face plate and a body having a face support forreceiving the face plate. The body includes a top, a toe end and a heelend, a sole, and a forward wall. The forward wall defines a frontopening about which the face support is disposed. The face supportreceives the face plate, thereby enclosing the front opening of thebody.

More specifically, and by way of example, the face support is configuredto contribute to durability and performance characteristics of the clubhead. The face support includes portions proximate to the top, the toeend, and the heel end. Each of these portions includes a peripheralmember extending rearward from the forward wall and a rear memberextending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the frontopening. The face support can also include a portion proximate to thesole of the body. The face support contributes to increased COR evenabout the periphery of the face plate while providing durable support.Thus, the face plate can be designed with an emphasis on performance.For example, the face plate can be configured with a face thicknessvariation that provides a maximum COR over a larger face area thanotherwise possible. Preferably, the face plate is formed from compositematerial; however, a lightweight metal face plate may alternatively beattached to a metal body of the club head. In addition, in an exemplaryembodiment, a junction of the peripheral and rear members of the facesupport has a maximum thickness of between about 1.5 and 2 mm.

In each portion of the face support, the peripheral member has a lengthbetween about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of theforward wall, and a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and therear member extends for a length between about 2 mm and 15 mm and has athickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm. In even more detailed aspectsof various exemplary embodiments, the peripheral member has a thicknessof about 1 mm and a length between about 4 mm and 6 mm, and the rearmember has a thickness between about 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm and a lengthbetween about 2 mm and 7 mm.

In other detailed aspects of an exemplary embodiment, the peripheralmember is spaced from the skirt a horizontal distance of at least 1.5 mmmeasured about 2 mm inward from a side forward surface of the body atthe front opening at one or both of the toe and heel ends. The facesupport may comprise a continuous ledge, two or more sections or aplurality of tabs. The face plate is preferably formed of a compositematerial and more preferably includes a metal cap at an outer surface.The metal cap preferably has a rim received in the face support abuttingthe peripheral member.

In another exemplary embodiment, the club head has a volume for the golfclub head of at least 130 cc. The face plate has a height of at least 25mm and a width of at least 60 mm. Preferably, the golf club head has avolume of at least 360 cc, and the face plate has a height of at least50 mm and a width of at least 80 mm. More preferably, the club head hasa volume of at least 400 cc.

In yet other detailed aspects of an exemplary embodiment, the golf clubhead has at least two removable weights provided on the body, having atotal mass of between about 20 g and 30 g. The weights can be orientedsuch that a longitudinal axis of each weight is directed towards theface plate. There may be two removable weights provided at a rear regionof the body, one removable weight provided at a toe region of the body,and one removable weight provided at a heel region of the body for atotal of four weights. Alternatively, two, three or more than fourweight elements may be provided. In a four-weight configuration, twoweights can be provided at the rear region of the body, a third weightprovided at a toe region of the body and a fourth weight at the heelregion. Preferably, a golf club head having a volume of at least 300 cchas a moment of inertia about a vertical axis through a center ofgravity of at least 300 kg-mm².

In yet other detailed aspects of an exemplary embodiment, the body is atleast partly formed of metal material. The face plate comprises acomposite face has a thickness less than about 4 mm and is formed from aplurality of plies of prepreg. The face plate further comprises a metalcap attached at a forward surface of the composite face, the metal caphaving a thickness of about 1 mm or less. The metal cap includes a rimreceived in the face support against the peripheral member. The rim canbe a continuous segment or a plurality of segments.

For purposes of summarizing the invention and the advantages achievedover the prior art, certain advantages of the invention have beendescribed herein above. Of course, it is to be understood that notnecessarily all such advantages may be achieved in accordance with anyparticular embodiment of the invention. Thus, for example, those skilledin the art will recognize that the invention may be embodied or carriedout in a manner that achieves or optimizes one advantage or group ofadvantages as taught herein without necessarily achieving otheradvantages as may be taught or suggested herein.

All of these embodiments are intended to be within the scope of theinvention herein disclosed. These and other embodiments of the presentinvention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art fromthe following detailed description of the preferred embodiments havingreference to the attached figures, the invention not being limited toany particular preferred embodiment disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way ofexample only, with reference to the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom perspective view of a first embodiment of a golf clubhead in accordance with the present invention, depicting a body and aface plate.

FIG. 2 is a toe-side elevational view of the golf club head of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken along line I-I of FIG. 2,depicting the club head with the face plate removed.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the body of the club head of FIG.1, depicting a recessed face support about a front opening of the body.

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view, taken along line II-II of FIG.4.

FIG. 5A is a detailed view at section A of FIG. 5, depicting a portionof the face support adjacent to the crown of the club head.

FIG. 5B is a detailed view at section B of FIG. 5, depicting a portionof the face support adjacent to the sole of the club head.

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view, taken viewed along lineIII-III of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6A is a detailed view at section A of FIG. 6, depicting a portionof the face support adjacent to the toe end of the club head.

FIG. 6B is a cross-sectional view at section B of FIG. 6, depicting aportion of the face support adjacent to the heel end of the club head.

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of a body fora golf club head in accordance with the present invention, depicting aface support having a plurality of tabs about a front opening of thebody.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a toe-side elevational view of a third embodiment of a clubhead in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of the body of the club headof FIG. 9, depicting a recessed face support about a front opening ofthe body.

FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view at section A of FIG. 10, depicting aportion of the face support adjacent to the sole of the club head.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 5A, depicting acomposite face plate secured to the face support of the body.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 11, depicting acomposite face plate having a metal cap at an outer surface.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a body for awood-type golf club head in accordance with the present invention,depicting a face support of the body having a portion, including a rearmember, adjacent to the sole.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view of a fifth embodiment of a body for aniron golf club head in accordance with the present invention, depictinga face support of the body disposed about a front opening.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The drawings include preferred embodiments of golf club heads inaccordance with the present invention. With reference to FIGS. 1-4, awood-type club head 20 is shown having a separate face plate 22 and abody 24. The body and the face plate are relatively light, therebyfacilitating the use of four removable weights 26 disposed about theperiphery of the club head, including two weights in a rear region 28 ofthe body, one weight in a toe region 30, and one weight in a heel region32 of the body. The body includes a face support 34 disposed about afront opening 36 of the body for receiving the face plate. The facesupport provides durable support while contributing to club performance,to include high COR even about the periphery of the face plate. Moreparticularly, upon impact with a golf ball, the face support promotesdefection of the face plate even about the periphery thereof.

The body 24 includes a sole 38, a top (i.e., crown 40), a skirt 42, anda forward wall 44. The face support 34 includes a peripheral member 46extending rearward from the forward wall and a rear member 48 extendinginward with reference to the front opening 36. The face support includesportions proximate to the top, the toe, the heel and the sole. Moreparticularly, in the exemplary embodiment, the face support iscontinuous about the front opening. In other embodiments, the portionsof the face support can be configured as a plurality of tabs spacedapart about the front opening. One such example is depicted in FIGS. 7and 8, which discussed in further detail below. Also, in otherembodiments (e.g., FIGS. 13 and 14), the portion of the face supportproximate to the sole can exclude a thin peripheral member.

With reference continued to FIGS. 1-4, the face support 34 is recessed,allowing the face plate 22 to sit flush with the forward wall 44 of thebody 24. In the portions of the face support proximate to the crown andsole, the peripheral member 46 is generally perpendicular to a faceplane (V) defined by the face plate 22, and the rear member is generallyparallel to the face plane (V). As best seen in FIG. 2, a loft plane(LP) of the club head is normal to the face plane (V) and forms an acuteangle with a horizontal plane (P). Adjacent the toe and heel ends 30,32, of the skirt 42 the peripheral member is generally parallel to theface plane (V).

With reference now to FIG. 5 through FIG. 6B, the face support isconfigured to provide durable support while facilitating clubperformance. More particularly, the face support is sufficiently thin topromote high COR, even about the periphery of the face plate, and isstructured to provide ample surface area for receiving the face plate,thereby aiding in club durability. The rear member 48 of the facesupport 34 has a thickness T_(R) between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm and alength L_(R) between about 2 mm and 25 mm. The parameters of the facesupport can vary across embodiments of the invention. For example,parameter can vary depending upon materials used, head volume, and faceplate dimensions. Preferably, the thickness T_(R) is between about 0.6mm and 1.5 mm and the length L_(R) is between about 2 mm and 7 mm. Theperipheral member 46 of the face support has a thickness T_(P) betweenabout 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm and a length L_(P) between about 3 mm and 30 mm.Preferably, the peripheral member 46 may range in thickness between 0.8mm and 1.2 mm, and more preferably, the thickness T_(P) is about 1 mm.The peripheral member preferably has a length L_(P) between about 4 mmand 6 mm. While the peripheral member 46 most preferably issubstantially constant in thickness, the rear member preferably tapersinwardly toward a center of the front opening 36. At an inner end 44 ofthe rear member 48, the thickness T_(E) is between about 0.6 mm and 0.9mm.

At a junction 50 of the peripheral and rear members of the face support34, there is preferably a maximum thickness T_(J) between about 1.5 mmand 2 mm. In the preferred embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, the peripheralmember 46 is spaced from an inner surface 56 of the crown 40 by adistance S₁ measured in a vertical direction of at least 1 mm measuredat a distance d₁ about 2 mm rearward from an upper forward wall 58 ofthe body proximal the front opening 36; this is more clearly shown inFIG. 11. Similarly, the peripheral member 46 is spaced from an innersurface 56 of the sole 38 a vertical distance S₂ of at least 1 mmmeasured at a distance d₂ about 2 mm rearward of a lower forward wall 58of the body proximal the front opening 36. Preferably, the peripheralmember 46 is spaced from the crown and sole at least 1.5 mm measured ina vertical direction.

At the toe and heel ends of the skirt 42, the peripheral member 46 isspaced a distance S₃ measured in a horizontal direction of at least 1.5mm measured at a distance d₃ about 2 mm inward from a side forward wall60 of the body proximal the front opening 36. Preferably, the peripheralmember is spaced at least 2 mm.

Preferred dimensions for the body of the golf club head of FIG. 1 are inthe range of 0.7 mm to 1 mm thickness T_(C) for the crown and in therange of 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm thickness T_(S) for the sole and skirt. Thewall thickness T transitioning to the forward wall 44 and the frontopening 36 at the crown, sole, toe and heel is preferably about 1 mm tomore smoothly transition to the thickness T_(P) of the peripheral memberof the face support. Of course, for smaller volumes the desirabledimensions for the club head may vary. For example, for fairway woodclub heads 10′ in the range of about 130 cc to 190 cc may havesubstantially thicker soles 38′, as shown in FIGS. 9, 10 and 10A.

With reference now to FIG. 13, a body 70 is depicted for use inwood-type golf club head. For convenience of reference, like componentsare given like reference numerals. The body includes a face support 34′continuous about a front opening 36. In the present embodiment, the facesupport includes a lower portion 72 adjacent to a sole 38 of the body.The lower portion includes a rear member 48′ extending from a lower lip74 of the body and having parameters as discussed above. The rear memberextends inward with respect to the front opening and is recess to allowa face plate (not shown) to sit flush with the body. In the presentembodiment, the entirety of the lower portion of the face supportexcludes a thin peripheral member. However, in other embodiments, thelower portion can include at prescribed locations along the lowerportion. Although the present embodiment is for use in a wood-type clubhead, similar face support configurations in which the face supportexcludes a thin peripheral member at prescribed locations, can also beused other club heads such as in iron-type club heads, to includeone-irons through wedges. Moreover, other embodiments of club heads canincorporate a face support comprising a plurality of tabs in whichselected tabs adjacent to the sole exclude a thin peripheral member, asdiscussed above.

With reference now to FIG. 14, a body 80 is depicted for use in aniron-type golf club head. The body includes a top 82, sole 84, a toe endand a heel end, and it further includes a face support 34″ similarlyconfigured as the previous exemplary embodiments. The face support 34″includes a peripheral member 46″ extending rearward from a forward wall44″ and a rear member 48″ extending inward with reference to the frontopening 36″. The face support is sufficiently thin to promoteperformance, and is structured to facilitate club durability. Theparameters for peripheral and rear members are in line with thosediscussed above, to include thickness and length parameters. In theexemplary embodiment, the face support is continuous about the frontopening. In other embodiments, the face support can be configured as aplurality of tabs spaced apart about the front opening.

With reference again to FIGS. 1-4, the club head 20 has four removableweight elements 26. Two weight elements are located in the rear region28 of the club head. A third weight element is located in the toe region30 of the club head, and a fourth weight element is located in the heelregion 32 of the club head. The weight elements are accessible from theexterior of the club head and securely received into recesses 90. In theexemplary embodiment, each weight is oriented such that a longitudinalaxis defined by each weight element is directed toward the face plate22. Fewer, such as two or three weights, or more than four weights maybe provided as desired.

Various weight elements may be used, such as those disclosed inco-pending applications Ser. Nos. 10/290,817 and 10/785,692, which areincorporated herein by reference. In the exemplary embodiment, theweight elements are attached by screws, such as those available fromTextron, Inc., under the brand names TORX® or TORX PLUS®. Screws, suchas those available from Textron, Inc., under the brand name CAMCAR®, canbe used as one or more of the weight elements. In the exemplaryembodiment, four weights having a combined mass of about 23 g areprovided as shown in FIG. 3, wherein the volume of the club head isabout 460 cc. A total mass of the club head, including a face plate massof about 24 g, is about 199 g. With this arrangement, a moment ofinertia about a vertical axis at a center of gravity of the club head,I_(ZZ), is about 405 kg-mm².

With continued reference to FIGS. 1-4, the body 24 for the club headcomprises cast titanium alloy. In other embodiments, other metal ornon-metallic materials may be used, For example, the body can be formedof materials such as squeeze-cast magnesium alloy, steel, andcombination of magnesium and titanium alloys. Also, a multi-piece bodymay be used including one or more different materials. For example, abody may be provided with a sole, skirt, partial crown and face openingformed by metal casting methods known to those skilled in the art. Astamped metal or composite crown may be included to complete the crownof the body and a forged metal or composite face plate may be attachedto form the club head. Alternatively, a composite body may be provided.

A hollow club head having features of the present invention can range involume from about 130 cc to about 460 cc. Preferably, the head has avolume of at least 360 cc and more preferably at least 400 cc. Theremovable weights preferably comprise a mass of between about 20 g and30 g., for a total head weight between about 180 g to 205 g. The momentof inertia I_(ZZ) is preferably at least 300 kg-mm² for the presentinvention and more preferably is at least 350 kg-mm².

The club head may be formed by casting techniques known to those skilledin the art, preferably investment casting a titanium alloy such asTi-6Al-4V. Alternatively, a soluble wax core may be used to create thespecific internal structure to achieve the desired club head inertiasand center of gravity location as well as a face support and weightrecesses. In particular, a separate wax mold may be created for therecesses for the weight elements that is then attached to a main waxmold for the club head body, such as by gluing the two wax molds. In theexemplary embodiment, the forward, heel and toe recesses 90 formed of bya unitary body. Alternatively, the weight recesses 90 may be separatelyformed and welded to an internal location of the club head body. Ofcourse, alternative embodiments of the present invention may includeintegral, thickened wall portions 92, such as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, inlieu of separately formed weights. Alternative embodiments may omitdistinct weight elements completely.

In several exemplary embodiments, the face plate 22 is formed ofcomposite material; nonetheless, a lightweight metal face plate can alsobe used. Referring now to FIG. 11, the plies (layers) of compositematerial (prepreg) comprising the composite face plate can be definedaccording to the combination of fiber, resin system, fiber area weight(FAW) and resin content (R/C) used. One example of a preferred prepregis 70 g FAW 34/700 material which comprises 34/700 fiber, Newport 301resin, 70 g/m² FAW and 40% R/C. Various embodiment of suitable compositeface plates, and methods of manufacture, are disclosed in co-pendingapplication Ser. No. 10/442,348 filed May 21, 2003 and titled GOLF CLUBHEAD AND METHOD OF MANUFACTURE, which is incorporated herein byreference.

The composite face 22 can be manufactured by stacking and cutting theplies in predetermined orientations. This may be done in smaller groupsof plies that are eventually stacked to form the final thickness of theface. More particularly, the plies of prepreg can be arranged inspecific groups in which each ply has a predetermined orientation withreference to a horizontal axis. For example, a first or outermost plymay comprise 1080 glass fabric oriented at 0 degrees, followed by 48plies of 34/700 prepreg oriented such that 12 plies each are at 0, +45,90 and −45 degrees. Another ply of 34/700 at 90 degrees precedes thefinal or innermost ply of 1080 glass fabric oriented at 0 degrees.

The face preferably obtains its final desired shape or dimensionsachieved by die cutting. The final desired bulge and roll of the faceplate may be achieved during the last of two or more “debulking” orcompaction steps of two minutes each to reduce air trapped betweenplies. Preferably a third debulking includes a panel having the finaldesired bulge and roll, and more preferably the stack of plies for thefinal face thickness is completed in a fourth debulking with the panelfor about three minutes. The weight and thickness are measuredpreferably prior to the curing step.

Preferably, the composite golf club face comprises low fiber area weight(FAW) materials, and preferably has thickness less than about 4 mm. Theweight savings from the use of the composite face is about 20 g to 25 gcompared to a 2.7 mm thick face plate formed from a titanium alloy suchas Ti-6Al-4V, for example. For fairway wood golf club heads 10′, theface is preferably at least 60 mm wide and 25 mm high. For driver-typegolf club heads 10, the face is preferably at least 80 mm wide and 50 mmhigh.

Attaching a composite material face plate 22 with a metallic club headbody 24 may be accomplished with adhesives. In order to prevent peel anddelamination failure at the face-body junction, the composite face plateshould be recessed from or substantially flush with the plane of theforward surface of the metal body at the junction, as shown in FIG. 11.Preferably, the composite face plate is sufficiently recessed so thatthe ends of the fibers are not exposed. The junction of the compositeface plate and the metal body preferably includes an annular ledge asthe face support 34. Alternatively, the face support 34 may comprise twoor more sections 94 (FIGS. 7-8) or a plurality of tabs, to support andattach the face plate.

In a preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the composite face comprisesa titanium cap 96 placed over the composite material to form thestriking surface. Preferably, the titanium cap includes a peripheral rim98 to cover the periphery of the composite face, wherein the rim may becontinuous or comprise a plurality of segments. The titanium capthickness is less than about 1 mm, and preferably, the titanium capthickness is less than 0.2 mm. The cap in one sample tested was formedfrom Ti-6Al-4V titanium alloy; however, other materials or titaniumalloys may be employed as desired. The composite face thickness wasabout 3.65 mm and the titanium cap thickness was about 0.3 mm. Alsopreferably, a bond gap of about 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm, and more preferablyabout 0.1 mm, is provided for adhesive attachment of the titanium capover the composite face. In other embodiments, a composite face platecan be used without a titanium cap.

Surface roughness can be provided to the composite face plate tofacilitate adhesive bonding. In a first approach, a layer of texturedfilm may be placed on the material before curing, thereby. An example ofthe textured film is ordinary nylon fabric. Curing conditions do notdegrade the fabric and an imprint of the fabric texture is transferredto the composite surface. Tests have shown that adhesion of urethane andepoxy, such as 3M® DP460, to the treated composite surface was greatlyimproved and superior to adhesion to a metallic surface, such as casttitanium alloy. In a second approach, the texture can be incorporatedinto the mold surface, allowing the textured area to be controlledprecisely. For example, in an embodiment having a composite face platejoined to a cast body, texture can be located on surfaces where shearand peel are dominant modes of failure.

It should be appreciated from the foregoing that the present inventionprovides a golf club head that includes a face plate and a body having atop, a sole, a toe end, a heel end, and a forward wall. The forward walldefines a front opening about which a face support is disposed. The facesupport receives the face plate, thereby enclosing the front opening ofthe body. A face plate is received in a face support provided at thefront opening. The face support includes portions proximate to the top,the toe end, and the heel end. Each portion of the face support includesa peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall and a rearmember extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to thefront opening. The face support can be combined with a preferred faceconstruction and weight elements to optimize club head performance tohelp a golfer achieve greater distance and control.

Although the invention has been disclosed in detail with reference onlyto the preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciatethat additional golf club heads can be included without departing fromthe scope of the invention. Accordingly, the invention is defined onlyby the claims set forth below.

1. A golf club head, comprising: a body having a top, a sole, a toe end, a heel end, and a forward wall, the forward wall defining a front opening, the body further having a face support disposed about the front opening, the face support having portions proximate to the top, the toe end, and the heel end, the face support including a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and a face plate received by the face support.
 2. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face support further includes a portion proximate to the sole of the body, the portion proximate to the sole having a rear member extending inward with respect to the front opening and configured to support a lower edge of the face plate.
 3. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the face support further includes a portion proximate to the sole of the body, the portion proximate to the sole having a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm.
 4. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear member of the face support is continuous about the front opening, the rear member extending inward from the peripheral member of each of the portions of the face support.
 5. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the portions of the face support are configured as a plurality of tabs spaced apart from one another about the front opening.
 6. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral member has a thickness of about 1 mm and a length between about 4 mm and 6 mm, and the rear member has a thickness between about 0.6 mm and 1.5 mm and a length between about 2 mm and 7 mm.
 7. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein a junction of the peripheral and rear members of the face support has a maximum thickness of between about 1.5 and 2 mm.
 8. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the rear member tapers from a junction of the peripheral and rear members to an inward end, the inward end having a thickness of between about 0.6 and 0.9 mm.
 9. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the body is at least partly formed of metal material and the face plate comprises a composite face formed from a plurality of plies of prepreg, the composite face having a thickness less than about 4 mm.
 10. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the face plate comprises a metal cap attached at a forward surface of the composite face, the metal cap having a thickness of about 1 mm or less.
 11. A golf club head as defined in claim 9, wherein the metal cap comprises a rim received in the face support against the peripheral member, the rim comprising a continuous segment or a plurality of segments.
 12. A golf club head as defined in claim 1, wherein the club head defines an internal volume of at least 130 cc.
 13. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the peripheral member is spaced from a skirt of the body at one or both of the toe and heel ends a horizontal distance of at least 1.5 mm measured about 2 mm inward from a side forward surface of the body at the front opening.
 14. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the face support further includes a portion proximate to the sole, the portion proximate to sole having a rear member extending inward with respect to the front opening, the portion proximate to sole face disposed such that the front surface of the face plate is substantially flush with the forward wall of the body.
 15. A golf club head as defined in claim 13, wherein the portion proximate to the sole further having a peripheral member, the peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall proximate to the sole for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, the rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm.
 16. A golf club head as defined in claim 12, wherein the peripheral member is spaced from the crown a vertical distance of at least 1 mm measured about 2 mm rearward of an upper forward surface of the body at the front opening.
 17. A golf club head as defined in claim 16, wherein the peripheral member is spaced from the sole a vertical distance of at least 1 mm measured about 2 mm rearward of a lower forward surface of the body at the front opening.
 18. A golf club head, comprising: a body having a crown, a skirt, a sole and a forward wall, the skirt having a toe end and a heel end, the forward wall defining a front opening, the body further having a face support disposed about the front opening, the face support having portions proximate to the crown, to the sole, to the toe end, and to the heel end, the face support including a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and a face plate having a height of at least 50 mm and a width of at least 80 mm and comprising a plurality of plies of prepreg and having a thickness less than about 4 mm, the face plate received by the face support, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body and defining a volume of the club head of at least 360 cc.
 19. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the golf club head has a moment of inertia about a vertical axis through a center of gravity of at least 300 kg-mm².
 20. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, further comprising a metal cap attached at a forward surface of the composite face, the metal cap having a thickness of less than 0.5 mm and formed from a titanium alloy.
 21. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the golf club head has a volume of at least 400 cc.
 22. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, wherein the body is investment cast using a titanium alloy.
 23. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, further comprising at least two removable weights provided on the body, the weights having a total mass of between about 20 g and 30 g.
 24. A golf club head as defined in claim 23, wherein each removable weight is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of each removable weight is directed towards the face plate.
 25. A golf club head as defined in claim 18, further comprising two removable weights provided at a rear region of the body, one removable weight provided at a toe region of the body, and one removable weight provided at a heel region of the body.
 26. A golf club head as defined in claim 25, wherein each removable weight is oriented such that a longitudinal axis of each removable weight is directed towards the face plate.
 27. A golf club head, comprising: a body having a crown, a skirt, a sole and a forward wall, the skirt having a toe end and a heel end, the forward wall defining a front opening, the body being formed using a soluble core, the body further having a face support disposed about the front opening, the face support having portions proximate to the crown, the sole, and the skirt at the toe end and at the heel end, at each portion the face support including a peripheral member extending rearward from the forward wall for a length between about 3 mm and 30 mm, measured from a forward surface of the forward wall, the peripheral member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm, and a rear member extending inward from the peripheral member, with respect to the front opening, for a length between about 2 mm and 25 mm, the rear member having a thickness between about 0.5 mm and 2.5 mm; and a face plate having a height of at least 25 mm and a width of at least 60 mm, the face plate received by the face support, thereby enclosing the front opening of the body and defining a volume for the golf club head of at least 130 cc. 